mid-14c., from flower (n.) + -y (2). Figurative sense "richly embellished," in reference to language, is from c. 1600. Related: Floweriness.

mid-13c., blomen, "bear flowers, blossom, be in flower," from an Old Norse noun from the same source as bloom (n.1). Related: Bloomed; blooming.

ornamental flower stand, 1841, from French jardinière "flower pot" (also "female gardener, gardener's wife"), noun use of fem. of adjective jardinier "of the garden," from jardin "garden; orchard; palace grounds," from Vulgar Latin *hortus gardinus "enclosed garden," via Frankish *gardo or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *gardaz, from PIE root *gher- (1) "to grasp, enclose."

1728, "stem-like part of a flower pistil," alteration of Latin stilus "stake, stylus;" spelling influenced by Greek stylos "pillar." Meaning "instrument for writing" is from 1807.

in botany, "small leaf beneath a flower," Modern Latin, from Latin bractea, literally "thin metal plate," a word of unknown origin. Related: Bracteal; bracteate.

late 14c., "that is in flower, flourishing," present-participle adjective from bloom (v.). The meaning "full-blown" (often a euphemism for bloody) is attested from 1882.

c. 1500, "Roman goddess of flowers;" 1777, "the plant life of a region or epoch," from Latin Flora, "goddess of flowers," from flos (accusative florem, genitive floris) "flower," from *flo-s-, Italic suffixed form of PIE *bhle- "to blossom, flourish" (source also of Middle Irish blath, Welsh blawd "blossom, flower," Old English blowan "to flower, bloom"), extended form of root *bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom."

Her festival, the Floralia, was April 28 to May 2 and featured "comic theatrical representations" and "excessive drinking" [Century Dictionary]. The French Revolutionary calendar had a month Floréal (April 20-May 20). Used as the title of systematically descriptive plant catalogues since 1640s, but popularized by Linnaeus in his landmark 1745 study of Swedish plants, "Flora Suecica."

the bud of a rose, the flower of a rose before it blooms," c. 1500, from rose (n.1) + bud (n.). Hence, "young girl in her first bloom, a debutante."

1785, in reference to a type of flower cluster, from Latin racemus "a cluster of grapes" (see raisin). In Middle English, "a raisin or currant" (late 14c.).

1560s, "heliotrope," from sun (n.) + flower (n.). In reference to the Helianthus (introduced to Europe 1510 from America by the Spaniards) it is attested from 1590s, so called from the appearance of the heads.